


Turnabout

by Gabri



Category: How to Train Your Dragon (2010)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Gender Changes, Gen, Mother-Son Relationship, Not Romance, Rule 63
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-10-03
Updated: 2012-10-03
Packaged: 2017-11-15 13:35:31
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,857
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/527871
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Gabri/pseuds/Gabri
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>He called her 'Toothless,' drawing out the double letters lightly. She must have been as strange to him as he was to her.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Oh my goodness, now that I'm moved over to AO3 for the most part, I'm seeing these female!Toothless stories everywhere and it's so, so fantastic. I'm gathering them all together and swooning <3   
> This was one of those fics I made because it was something I wanted to see but couldn't find at the time. It is, basically, my personal headcanon of (movie)Toothless. For that reason, I'm deflecting all comments of "But Toothless is a boy!" because, really? Really.
> 
> Enjoy. :)

When the sky was at it's darkest, studded with tiny, winking stars, the fire cast a distinctive glow over houses in ruin and the dark shape of comrades - it was a night like many, many others. It was a battle, and sounds of foreign shouts and the screeching of dragons was raw and familiar below. It was a scenario she had visited too many times, a scenario that still filled her with a terrible fury.

Black scales melted against the skies above them, silent and deathly, and with just a breath the wooden structure before her exploded in white and blue fire. More shouts, the shapes of rushing bodies scattered in sight as she flew at top speed over the burning town.

Dragon shrieks and war cries, the crackling of fire and heavy beating of winds, she dove in with more blue flame and soared back through the darkness in a blur. Pupils dilated and eyes narrowed with rage, she turned past the fire again, before a whooshing noise caught her attention -

In a moment a heaviness was upon her, a weight that sent her rocketing downward in a fierce struggle, screeching in panic, twisting through confines of tied rope, it was a weight that would ruin and incapacitate her and throw her into the world of a certain strange, young Viking, changing her life and many, many lives in the process...

But right now, all she knew was the wind rushing past her face in a terrifying fall, and the sudden shock of pain as her body made impact.

\-----

The first time she saw him, it was through a haze of raw panic and pain, her heaving breaths and shocks of fear making the scene seem unreal. It was a little creature, a skinny young thing whose origin was clear by the wide eyes and fur vest...and, of course, the pointed weapon in his hands.

He huffed out heavy, tortured breaths and gripped the dangerous sliver of steel so tightly that his knuckles turned white. She watched him shout at her and tremble and stare ahead furiously at nothing. She watched his face change and look down at her, felt her eyes grow wide before he turned away from her again. She looked aside and braced herself for death.

But the human cut the ropes and set her free.

In a moment she was on him, glaring into his terrified eyes, confused and angry. He was a scrawny youngling with a tangled resolve and he didn't struggle, he only cringed and shook. She gathered her rage into a shrieking roar and took off, tripping and screeching and colliding into trees because of an injury that was all his fault.

But he let her go. And she let him go. And that could have been the end of it, but he just kept coming back.

\------

The human watched her from afar as she struggled to fly. Her tail still stung and her body ached all over and he looked at her from atop a high rock with wide eyes.

He brought her fish in a sort of peace offering, he kicked his weapon away when she growled. He was scrawny and young, the youngest she had seen of the humans at this distance. He was what they called a hatchling. A bit of a malnourished one, too.

He was a funny thing, that child. He looked confused when she fed him in return. He copied her actions and made a strange expression with his mouth - like baring teeth, but not threatening at all. She tried to copy that too, it was another peace offering kind of look on him. But when he tried to stand up and reach out to her she shook the strange look off and sped away.

Maybe her distrust of him was beginning to ebb...but to touch - it was still a frightening idea. Her tail still ached in memory, and it wasn't in a dragon's heart to sit still while a stranger reached toward their eyes.

He called her 'Toothless,' drawing out the double letters lightly. He had a name for himself, a Viking name, but it seemed less natural to her to pin him with symbols and letters when she identified by his face and his smell and the way his body didn't tense in distrust around her anymore.

She must have been as strange to him as he was to her. With his silly, hesitant actions, the middle ground was a less threatening. He made markings on dirt and she did so as well. It was satisfying, and even...it was fun.

He was careful not to touch it when she growled.

And he was careful not to touch _her_ when she growled.

And then, for some reason, she leaned in and met his touch instead.

And then, for some reason, that felt _okay._

\------

When the human fixed her tail, she was so stunned that she took off right away. It was such a rushing feeling of determination to touch the air again that she forgot he was the one holding her in place.

He never stopped coming back, clumsily trying to improve her disability. He awkwardly set everything right, carefully planned everything out, and she was getting used to his weight on her back. The sky was starting to make sense again.

He wasn't going to hurt her. The trust was contagious.

\------

They spiraled forward into the consequences of a forbidden friendship. She took her own risk in bringing the boy's female human comrade into the skies with them. She felt their gasps and trembling fingers as they looked within the dangerous shell of the dragon's nest. She watched as his eyes became more and more desperate, more and more determined, until at last his hope took away the last of his fears and he tried to win over his village's distrust.

It was too fast. She heard his scream and her blood went cold. In a burst of adrenaline and protective fear, she rushed to his aid. The scrawny, affectionate Viking who brought her down and fixed her up and kept coming back and trying more. The little hatchling she was looking after in return.

It was chaos. Amongst the Viking war cries and shocked gasps, she heard his voice, the only one that mattered, in a fearful tone and pleading eyes. She gave in, the way she had always been giving in to that face. The only other being that had truly earned her trust. She didn't want to ruin her hatchling's happiness. It was the thought that numbed her fury long enough to be brought down again.

But he came back for her. Because he was always coming back for her.

She had never been so desperate when she saw him swimming toward her chained form, desperate to free her again, until his body went slack and his breath started fading. She had been more determined the day she gestured for him to get on her back and they took off in perfect sync into the air before the many eyes of the massive dragon who had dictated their lives with fear. She had never been more fearful during the seemingly endless moments when she held her hatchling human curled up under her wings and listened to his faint, faint heartbeat.

She had never been so happy the day he opened his eyes again.

\-------

Hiccup braced his hands quietly against Toothless' smooth scales as the dragon guided him toward the door. His leg felt strange and numb and his body was still somewhat detached from the shock of his impact. Green-gold eyes looked up at him as he took in the stunning sight of the newly inhabited Berk, shining scales of every color and cheering faces of every kind.

His heart felt light and weighted with disbelief all at once. It was dreamlike as they celebrated, embraced, and moved. The sky was a pretty blue color that just begged to be explored. And as Hiccup fitted his new metal heel against the brace on Toothless' side, he leaned against his friend's head with a weightless smile.

"We did it, buddy." he muttered.

Over the happy cheers, cries, and beating wings, Toothless was the only one who heard him.

\-------

She remembered seeing a bird's nest at the cove she had met him in.

In particular, she remembered watching the mother bird fly away, leaving her nest of blue eggs behind. Probably to go look for food to give her babies, like she had given food to the human. The lucky bird, with her uninjured tail.

When she turned her head, Hiccup had been sitting there eagerly beside her.

Looking back, it was silly to think of. But she felt lucky, too.


	2. Chapter 2

Hiccup first began to notice a change in Toothless the day several of the little Terror's eggs hatched.

Terrible Terrors were tiny creatures, colorful and quirky, and the younger Vikings in particular were quite taken with them. Hiccup had been extra careful when their eggs were discovered to make sure none of them were damaged by any curious or unknowing residents, but the villagers had tread carefully, keeping them safe. Soon enough, the first few began to hatch: three tiny, scaly heads with enormous lidded eyes that peeped blindly over broken shells.

He watched, smiling as the Vikings held their fast-growing, skittish frames carefully, the scrutinizing mother Terror keeping tabs with her flock at her heels, until at last that hatchlings would scamper back to their mother so the serpentine family could curl up together and rest.

With their colorful little bodies cuddled close, Hiccup decided to leave them be, rising unsteadily to his feet again. He braced his hand against a nearby post and glanced around for his usually attentive friend. Toothless was perched on the opposite side of the Terror's homey nest, curious and still with his green-gold eyes gazing down upon the sleeping dragons. His sleek, jet-black body was so still, Hiccup had almost forgotten he hadn't moved.

He tested the balance on his prosthetic leg for a moment as he waited for his friend. Not too much time had passed since the battle he had lost it in, and unsurprisingly, it was taking some time to get used to, even as Hiccup tested his own adjustments on the device. His stomach still knotted unpleasantly when he looked down upon it alone, but Toothless was always there to nudge his strong head lovingly under Hiccup's arm as a crutch, or take him to the skies where together they could leave their problems behind.

Sure enough, in just a few moments Toothless was back at his side, greeting him with a purr and a questioning tip of the head. "It's alright, buddy." he muttered reassuringly, laying a hand affectionately behind the dragon's ear. He gave the baby Terror's another backwards glance before he devoted his attention to walking again, feeling his heart swell at the picture they made. Newborn dragons living contently in their Viking village...they had certainly come a long way.

Toothless nudged his elbow with impatience and Hiccup allowed himself to be guided away. The dragon's broad head stayed low as they moved, and he couldn't help but notice his large eyes flickering back several times to steal glances at the Terror's nest. _It's probably so strange to him,_ Hiccup thought. _It's exciting. Imagine how Toothless feels, seeing the little guys safe here..._ He smiled warmly down at the Night Fury.

Still, Toothless didn't give him any other response. Maybe he was worried...their life at the nest wasn't an easy one, after all. Either way, raising hatchlings in the safe-hold of Berk was a big change to adjust into.

But the skies were soft today, a simple, pretty color that was welcoming to him. Toothless seemed eager to spread his wings, and the instant Hiccup secured himself on the dragon's back, they were off in a flash. The wind tagged his hair flat, billowing his shirt out along the edges, and the uplifting sounds of the air zooming by brought a familiar grin to his face. Now more than ever, with the stress of the village ebbing away and casting the ground in a unappealing light by comparison, the sky was truly a paradise.

Toothless soared for a long, long time. Hiccup stayed close against his dark, powerful body, guiding and moving together with him like one single being in the sky.

\---------

When he woke in the morning, Toothless always worried and checked over him protectively. He helped his young rider to his feet and purred in greeting as Hiccup stroked his rough, shiny scales. The Vikings still called in energetic alert when they saw the boy and his Night Fury, but the two were growing accustomed to the attention. In the morning, Hiccup grinned and shook his free hand when the others waved at them. At breakfast, the Viking would sit cross-legged, eating his bread and cooked meat as Toothless happily gobbled up fresh fish, protectively holding his share behind his claws as always. Sometimes the dragon took habit in regurgitating food for his friend again, something that would make the other villagers both choke and giggle into their hands.

As the white-gold sun rose higher into the sky, Hiccup was sure to check up on the baby Terrors again. He petted their growing bodies as he made sure the busy parents had their share of food, lightly scratching between their twisted horns where his hand fit perfectly against their heads. Toothless sat close by, warningly eyeing the other Terrors whenever they came too close to inspect him. He cooed strange and low in his throat as Hiccup handled the excitable little hatchlings, and when the young Viking looked curiously back at his friend, he found Toothless simply watching him with quiet eyes.

Some of the younger Vikings stopped by more than once to lavish attention on the younglings. Soon Astrid had stopped in as well, keeping an eye out for any tangled horns or trouble with curious children. She simply _glowed_ when she smiled at the tiny dragons, and Hiccup often felt a quiet kind of surging happiness when he looked upon that. But still, something wasn't quite right, and he carefully found himself scooping up one of the newly hatched himself, nodding hopefully at Toothless to get the dragon's attention on the tiny Terror. The Night Fury had been watching the little creatures all day, and he thought maybe a clear view of the little guys would settle the strange tension a bit...or at least give him some lead as to what might be bothering him.

Toothless cocked his head, fixing his eyes on the baby Terror sitting in Hiccup's open palms. He heard that same small, cooing noise from deep within the Night Fury's throat again, and not a moment after Toothless shook it off with a decisive sigh, laying his head back down gloomily.

Hiccup frowned, speechless and blinking as the little Terror nudged at his fingers playfully. He set the baby back down beside it's nest, and as it slipped back under it's mother's wing, Toothless emitted another huffing sigh and flicked his tail with irritation. His rounded eyes slipped closed tiredly.

"You alright there, bud?" Hiccup tried again. Toothless opened his eyes again enough to look back up at him, silent in retort to Hiccup's concern, until finally he rose back to his feet, shifting his wings in a light stretch.

"Want to go?" Hiccup suggested, sitting back against his palms as he regarded Toothless's disinterested face. In his peripheral vision, Astrid's brilliant, icy eyes lifted and looked between them calculatingly. "Or..." He trailed off, dropping that train of thought as he studied his companion's eye worriedly. "...let's head back to the house, buddy." he decided softly.

"I'll stay here with the Terrors." Astrid vouched quickly, giving him a confident smile. Her eyes flickered back to Toothless as she stroked the rougher scales along one of the fledglings spines. Hiccup offered her a sheepish shrug and her gaze hardened a bit, as if to scoldingly say 'take care of each other!'

This time, Hiccup payed extra attention to count the number of times Toothless stole glances back at the Terror nest. The finality in his eyes underlined Hiccup's worry. He coughed awkwardly against his fist, trying to think of a useful way to word his concern, but instead he just found himself watching the uneven steps between his flesh and prosthetic leg and the shadow of Toothless's body where it offered wordless support at his side.

"Those Terror's are a handful, huh?" Hiccup laughed weakly. Green-gold eyes only rose to study him for a moment before dropping again.

"...I don't suppose you had, um, a lot of baby dragons at the nest..." Hiccup found himself saying suddenly. "Or...I mean...maybe you did...but it was really hectic before, I know. With everything going on, so...you..."

Hiccup's shoulders fell as the thought took root. With the Red Death in control, food was obviously scarce, and even so, that _nest_...it was hard for the dragons to survive in that war zone, let alone nurse hatchlings. Not to mention the Night Fury was rare - Hiccup hadn't caught even a glimpse of another one. It was entirely possible that there weren't anymore. That thought alone was enough to sympathize with Toothless' sad eyes as he watched the new Terrible Terror's family play...

"Don't worry, buddy." he said as they approached the steep hill that Horrendous Haddock house sat atop. "Who knows how things will turn out, right? There could be a girl dragon out there for you too." he added impulsively. Toothless paused, then tossed his head with a huff, looking ahead at the patchwork stairs and construction impassively.

Hiccup petted behind the dragon's flattened ears quietly, swallowing back a sigh as Toothless nodded his head into the touch. He was so used to Toothless, to learning things from him, reading his expressions and sounds and all the little meanings in his body when they were flying together. That common language was enough to get a sense of reassurance across, even if he couldn't directly get an answer.

\--------

Almost half an hour later, Astrid came bounding up the hill looking wind-tossed and content. Hiccup saw her run a hand through her white-blonde bangs before catching his eye and heading right over.

"The hatchlings are really excitable..." she reported simply, smiling close-mouthed at him. Her eyes scanned the horizon briefly.

"Toothless is sleeping. Probably." Hiccup informed her before she could ask.

Astrid's eyes sifted through the clouds, looking far more calm and certain than Hiccup felt. "It must hurt for you to see him unhappy..." she mused. "...what are you going to do about it?"

"The baby dragons must be a good reminder that he's alone...alone, as a Night Fury." Hiccup thought aloud slowly. "But he's got us. We all have _each other_ , I mean, but..." he tossed his hands up, not looking at her. "Well - I don't know - if there was a girl dragon, another Night Fury...maybe Toothless could have family of his own. Maybe he'd like that."

"I don't think there are other Night Furies." Astrid admitted. "But you're right...he's got us. There's just been a lot of changes recently."

She laced her fingers together aimlessly, turning her head back against the sky so the wind could catch her profile - a strong, iron-studded silhouette against the bleeding light of the sky. Hiccup watched her peaceful expression and felt himself relax. Somehow, the picture she made like that seemed to say that everything would turn out okay.

"Hiccup?" Astrid said, contemplatively narrowing her eyes at the skyline.

"Yeah?"

"Have you even considered that maybe Toothless _is_ a girl dragon?"

He blinked, but Astrid didn't turn to see the off-guard widening off his eyes. Even before they were friends, Hiccup had no reason to wonder. Just as he never imagined a nest of baby Terrors before, he didn't think of males and females or anything in-between: the dragons were just bold and bright and powerful, just _themselves_ , it just didn't matter. He shrunk down a little meekly. "I...never really thought about it, actually...I don't - I mean, Toothless is Toothless - "

"I meant because the Terror eggs are hatching. Maybe if Toothless has a mother's instinct, it would be even more sensitive to that..." she raised her eyebrows at him questioningly.

He briefly remembered the mother Terror, tired but completely content as she nuzzled her baby. And then, Toothless's lonely cooing noise...

"Toothless wants...eggs?" Hiccup asked, stunned under her gaze.

"I don't know, Hiccup." Astrid sighed patiently, and Hiccup saw uncomfortableness in her smile. "It's just a thought. Toothless mothers you a lot, but now those Terrible Terrors are _actual_ mothers..." she tipped her shoulders in a light shrug. "It could be."

"Oh." his voice sounded very small for some reason. Hiccup threaded a hand through his hair, sucking in breath through his teeth and staring down at his prosthetic leg pathetically. _Okay...slow down_ \- so what would happen if Toothless was a girl - a girl who wanted babies? Babies like those little Terrible Terror babies? The possibility actually made him feel suddenly stupid...why hadn't heconsidered that before? He wished he had, just so Astrid wouldn't have had to suggest it. He knew he couldn't see Toothless as any different even if Toothless was technically a _she_ , anyway...but...

The women in their village were revered for their strength - after all, they could bring new life, and that was quite a powerful thing. Warriors of equal fierceness had come from both men and women, and though Hiccup couldn't recall his own mother, he know that a motherly fierceness was. Thor himself had to duck for cover when that protective love was questioned. He thought of Toothless breaking through the welded gates of the arena in a fury of smoke and screams to fend of the monstrous nightmare and smiled weakly...

As he let his hand fall back to his side, Astrid leaned down and gave him a quick peck on the cheek. "I'm just saying maybe." she reminded him warmly. "Nothing can break up you and your dragon, I know _that._ " She straightened, tossing her hair back with a goddess's confidence, eyes piercing and loving and teasing all at once. She smiled suddenly at his expression.

"And stop looking so scared."

"Uh...yes, ma'am." Hiccup stammered.

"I'm gonna go. See you." She rolled her eyes a little, the corners of her mouth still turned upward. Hiccup watched her jog back down the hill, taking in another deep breath. The sky was taking on a tinge of gray, hinting at a light storm. As if to answer, his leg ached dully in the changing air. Hiccup wondered briefly if that phantom rain-warning pain would ever go away.

Bracing his hands down to get back up on his feet, Hiccup turned to head the short distance back inside.

\--------

It wasn't surprising to him that Toothless was awake, after all.

Sure, he _looked_ asleep. His eyes were closed and his body was relaxed and his wings were folded comfortably near him. But Hiccup could catch the slight twitch of his tail or tenseness at his ears that gave him away.

"Hey, buddy." he greeted, briefly steadying himself with a hand on Toothless' scaly shoulder so he could lower himself to sit on the ground. The dragon's eyes opened just enough to study him, and he answered with a low, reanimated purr.

Hiccup suddenly found himself wondering if upcoming rain made Toothless' tail ache, too. He hadn't thought about it before, but now it made him sad to think of all the times they stayed inside during particularly harsh storms, drowsy and waiting for the sky to turn blue again.

Toothless nudged his elbow comfortingly, sensing his seriousness. Hiccup smiled at him, resting a hand on the dragon's brow lightly. "Hey, Toothless." he muttered. "It's okay if you want to be a parent. I think you'd make a great parent..."

The dragon's eyes watched him curiously. "I bet no little Night Fury would be able to wander off with you around. You'd keep them safe...And I'd help you teach them to fly...well, we'd do that part together, right buddy?"

Toothless tilted his head a little, purring softly in some sort of question or agreement, but it didn't really matter. If there were no more Night Furies, Toothless couldn't have kids anyway.

Hiccup's next question mattered even less. But still, he couldn't stop himself from asking...

"Do you really want to be a...I mean...would you be, you know...a _mother_?" he murmured. The dragon's eyes narrowed slightly, as if testing the way the word sounded on his tongue, discovering the meaning. Finally, he leaned his broad head forward just enough to nuzzle Hiccup's jaw. Hiccup felt a weird chill go through him as his friend rested again, looking back up at him solemnly. A chill, because even though no other living creature on earth could read Toothless the way Hiccup could, he yet still, wanted to read Toothless _better_. He wanted Toothless to be happy. Completely happy. And he kind of wanted to see Toothless with a family, imagining how happy that would make him...her...little Night Furies...it was an warm thought. An amazing thought.

Toothless...a mother. 

"...hey, you do have me..." he reminded with a pathetic smile. "I learned how to fly with you, too. So..."

The dragon hummed, regarding him strangely. "Don't give me that look." Hiccup said pointedly. "Come on, buddy. You're my family too."

That earned a curious tilt to the Night Fury's head. Hiccup sighed, laying a hand flat on the dragon's jaw and tipping their forehead's together tiredly. "It's late." he sighed. Then, before he could struggle back to his feet completely and even think of getting to bed, Toothless nudged him back with a quick paw at his ankle, wrapping a wing around him gently but stubbornly.

" _Oof-!_ Toothless- " Hiccup began before the dragon cuddled up to him sleepily, it's enormous gold-green eyes slipping closed. "...uh...okay, fine, fine." he rested his forearm across Toothless' strong neck, giving up as he shifted his weight to his side. "Alright, Toothless. I'll stay."

Toothless purred in untroubled agreement as Hiccup rested his head in his arms, his friend's cool scales and soft, rhythmic breathing a familiar home to sleep beside.

\--------

Toothless seemed in better spirits the next morning. She was already conscious when the sun woke Hiccup, laying content with her half-lidded eyes finding patterns in the floorboards. Hiccup yawned drowsily as the dragon unfolded her wing from around him. He stretched his arms above his head heavily, letting Toothless help him up (she was there with her head under his arm in a heartbeat) and the two moved toward the door together easily.

"Let's get some fish for you." Hiccup thought aloud, grabbing bread for himself from the pack near the door before pulling back the latch for them. Toothless may not have followed the whole concept of 'breakfast' and scheduled meals so much since many in the town liked to offer their dragon hero fish in passing, but she did understand Hiccup eating in the morning warranted a deserved meal for her as well.

They ate (always very quickly, because the morning flights were the most refreshing), took to the skies in record time, and spent the final remnants of sunrise rediscovering the air again. Toothless, to Hiccup's surprise, actually brought their landing down close to the Terror's nest, something she had never done before. Hoping it was a good sign, he unhooked himself easily from Toothless's back to approach the tiny dragon family.

The Terrors were better than ever. The babies were toughening up, their horns taking to their harder, permanent design and scales shining healthily. They played and explored around the Vikings eagerly, but with great reflex their mother was always there to step forward in defense around any suspicious looking scene.

They looked perfect to Hiccup. Apparently, Toothless thought so too, narrowing amused eyes at the babies when they dared a step closer. Once or twice, the Night Fury even pulled Hiccup back from the protective mother Terror with a clever wing, her brow raised daringly. Astrid found it cute (he deducted from her laughing as he stumbled awkwardly into Toothless' grasp), if not a little strange.

"Oh, Hiccup, Toothless looks happier already." she chuckled. "I bet it's because she's got her clumsy son to dote over now."

_'Son?'_

...Oh.

"...you mean me, don't you." Hiccup groaned as Toothless nudged him fussily. Astrid laughed again, watching them with fond amusement. Hiccup's dry tone didn't mean anything - she knew he was happy.

After all, they were a singular unit: the boy and the dragon. And perhaps the Night Fury's unlucky race was settled in comparison to her fortunate new life, where her best friend was also her savior and her counterpart and her own precious family, too.


End file.
